1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a multiple nozzle differential fluid delivery head for spraying a cleaner on the inside surfaces of an enclosure such as a toilet bowl, a shower enclosure, or a bathtub enclosure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Toilet bowls require care to prevent the buildup of unsightly deposits, to reduce odors and to prevent bacteria growth. Traditionally, toilet bowls have been cleaned, deodorized and disinfected by manual scrubbing with a liquid or powdered cleaning and sanitizing agent. Likewise, shower enclosures and bathtub enclosures require care to prevent the buildup of unsightly deposits and to prevent bacteria growth. Typically, shower enclosures and bathtub enclosures have been cleaned by manual scrubbing with a liquid cleaning agent. These tasks have required manual labor to keep the toilet bowl, shower enclosure and bathtub enclosure clean.
Automatic toilet bowl cleaning systems have been proposed. Some automatic toilet bowl dispensers use an aerosol deodorizing and/or cleaning agent that is dispensed into a toilet bowl through a conduit attached to the toilet bowl rim. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,178,070 discloses an aerosol container mounted by a bracket on a toilet rim with a tube extending over the rim; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,029,286 and 5,862,532 disclose dispensers for a toilet bowl including a pressurized reservoir of fluid, a conduit connected to the source of fluid, and a spray nozzle which is installed on the toilet rim. One disadvantage with these known toilet rim dispensing devices is that these devices may only apply the deodorizing and/or cleaning agent to one location in the toilet water or a limited area in the toilet water or on the inner surface of the toilet bowl. As a result, the cleaning of the inner surface of the toilet bowl may be limited to an area of the toilet bowl near the device.
Automatic toilet bowl cleaning systems that use a plurality of separate spray heads have also been proposed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,622,315, 5,022,098 and 4,183,105. However, these systems require complicated fluid piping arrangements that would likely deter many consumers from attempting to install such systems.
Automatic shower cleaning systems have also been developed. U.S. Pat. No. 7,021,494 describes an automated sprayer for spraying the walls of a shower enclosure with a liquid cleanser. The sprayer dispenses the cleanser using a pump and rotatable spray head. A motor drives the pump and rotates the spray head. The cleanser is thereby sprayed on the walls of the shower enclosure.
Multiple nozzle fluid delivery heads have also been proposed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,669,120, 6,123,272, 6,435,427, 5,484,002, 5,253,807 and 3,139,100.
Designing automatic delivery systems for cleaning objects such as toilet bowls, shower enclosures and bathtub enclosures is usually complicated as different parts of the surface to be treated/cleaned are different distances and orientations from the location of the liquid delivery system. One way to treat such surfaces is to use rotating fluid delivery components within the system and a means to alter the spray characteristics with the rotating angle of the fluid delivery head. While this type of design can accomplish appropriate treatment for all parts of the surface, in practice, it may become cumbersome. It may be desirable to have non-rotating fluid delivery components within an automated cleaning system as it reduces the complexity and hence lowers the cost and enhances the reliability.
Thus, there is a need for a static fluid delivery head for use in an automated cleaning system for cleaning toilet bowls, shower enclosures, bathtub enclosures and the like.